The latest research from UBS has prompted the firm to advise investors that it believes Apple sold a massive 69 million iPhones in the just-concluded December quarter -- a sum that would obliterate the company's previous all-time record.

Apple on Monday announced it will reveal financial results for its first fiscal quarter of 2015 on Jan. 27, with company executives expected to field questions covering what is anticipated to be another blockbuster for the tech giant.

The Apple Watch is expected to be a significant part of Apple's growth story in calendar year 2015, according to research firm Evercore, which advised investors to buy in to AAPL stock ahead of the wearable device's imminent launch.

If Apple can build enough units to satisfy consumer demand, it could sell as many as 67 million iPhones this quarter, crushing the company's previous all-time sales record, according to a new survey conducted by Morgan Stanley.

Consumer demand for Apple's latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus continues to outstrip supply heading into the end of the December quarter, according to the latest research from store polls conducted by Piper Jaffray.

Apple's final quarter of 2014 is expected to set dramatic new records in iPhone sales and overall profits, but external issues out of the company's control will also play a part, ranging from cheaper oil to declining foreign currencies.

Investment bank Morgan Stanley on Wednesday agreed to pay the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission $4 million in fines for violating the market access rule when it allowed a rogue trader to fraudulently purchase some $1 billion of Apple stock in 2012.

Analyst Alex Gauna of JMP Securities has raised his price target for Apple from $135 to $150, predicting an "explosive" quarter for the company based on "exceptionally strong" demand seen in both China and the United States.

British banking giant Barclays this week raised its price target for Apple shares to $140 from $120, saying that increased customer demand for larger-screened iPhones and iPads, the introduction of the Apple Watch, and the unveiling of new services like Apple Pay could significantly expand the company's margins.

Apple shares on Monday saw its most precipitous decline in three months after opening to unusually high trade volume, shedding as much as $40 billion in market value before rebounding to end the day down more than three percent.

A new survey from UBS suggests that the Apple Watch could get off to a strong start, leading the investment firm to predict sales of 24 million units and gross profit of $3.4 billion from the wearable device in its first few months alone.

Morgan Stanley joins a number of other investment firms that have raised their price targets on shares of Apple stock this week, reflecting significant gains posted by the company heading into the holiday shopping season and in anticipation of next year's debut of the Apple Watch.

Piper Jaffray has been tracking availability of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus at Apple Stores and continues to see demand outstripping supply, leading the investment firm to raise its price target on AAPL stock on Thursday.

With a huge number of iPhone owners yet to upgrade to screen sizes larger than 4 inches, Evercore Partners expects major revenue growth for Apple in fiscal 2015 and beyond, and has increased its price target on the company's shares to $135.